June is National Dairy Month. Dairy is an important component of a diet and offers many health benefits, including building and maintaining strong bones. Foods in the dairy group include milk, yogurt, cheese, lactose-free milk, and fortified soy milk and yogurt. It is also important to note that the dairy group DOES NOT include foods such as cream cheese, sour cream, cream, and butter. These foods are not included because they contain little calcium and a high fat content.

The dairy food group provides nutrients that are vital for the health and maintenance of the body. Some of these nutrients include calcium, potassium, vitamin D, and protein. Calcium is used for building strong bones and teeth. Potassium helps to maintain healthy blood pressure. Vitamin D helps the body maintain proper levels of calcium and phosphorus. Overall, dairy is important for children and adolescents when bone mass is being built, and essential for adults to prevent the start of osteoporosis. So, how much dairy should be included in your diet? Well, that depends on your age, sex, height, weight, and physical activity level. 90% of Americans do not get enough dairy. To make sure you are consuming a healthy amount of dairy, check out this general guidance chart based on age below, from MyPlate:

Written by: Bella Regna

Sources: https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/dairy

May is National Fitness and Sports Month! During this month, we have the chance to celebrate exercise, promote physical activity and participate in sports. In order to live a healthy lifestyle, we must make sure we get enough physical activity each day.

There is an endless number of ways to exercise and get your physical activity in. For example, you can go on a walk or run outside. Not only are you getting some sunshine and fresh air, but you are moving your body. Also, you can do this activity alone or with friends or family. Exercise can be very fun when you are with other people! When you are with your friends or family, you can play sports like soccer. You can do this by finding a park with a soccer goal and taking turns shooting the ball. If you are competitive, you could even divide into two teams and play each other! This is a good way to get your heart pumping.

Here are just a few more ways to exercise:

Written By: Allison Herendeen

Sources:

https://letsgo.catch.org/courses/take/catch-k-5-kids-club-activity-pack/texts/6822622-welcome

https://health.gov/our-work/nutrition-physical-activity/physical-activity-guidelines/current-guidelines

April is National Garden Month! When many people think of gardens, they often think of flower beds, but gardening can include planting fruits and vegetables as well. While gardening can just simply be a fun family activity, there are a lot of benefits from gardening that aren’t necessarily commonly thought of.

It has been found that children who are exposed to hands-on gardening eat significantly more vegetables than those who do not. This gardening exposure has also been shown in research to increase children’s willingness to try new types of produce, which is an important concept when looking into eating a healthy diet with lots of variety.

Gardening is also a sustainable and cost-effective way for families to get produce into their diet. By simply planting your favorite vegetables in a clean clay or plastic pot, trashcan, or bucket and placing it on a porch, balcony, windowsill, or another sunny spot you can build your own garden and grow your own vegetables, saving money by not having to buy them at a grocery store! Building your own garden at home also helps the environment by reducing your carbon footprint. You can also use your fruit and vegetable scraps as compost to nourish your garden!

Gardening is an excellent way to engage the creative side that children have! Teaching children how to garden allows them to lean into their curiosity, learn to be resourceful, and gain self-confidence. During this National Garden Month, we urge you to look into ways that you can get your students or children involved in gardening!

Written By: Kate Wilson

Sources:

https://www.eatright.org/food/planning/food-security-and-sustainability/start-a-container-garden-with-your-family

https://www.eatright.org/food/planning/food-security-and-sustainability/kids-in-the-garden-nutritious-and-fun

https://www.eatright.org/food/planning/food-security-and-sustainability/feed-your-family-healthfully-on-a-limited-budget

https://www.eatright.org/food/planning/food-security-and-sustainability/6-tips-to-lighten-your-carbon-foodprint

Popcorn is a snack most people love to eat. It comes in various flavors and forms. You can have sea salt, kettle, white cheddar, cheddar, and so many more. Is popcorn healthy? Can you make it healthy?

Popcorn counts as a whole grain! Three cups of popcorn count as 1 ounce-equivalent in the grains group. Grains are important because they have complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, several B vitamins, and minerals. Specifically, they contain iron, magnesium, and selenium.

Eating whole grains may reduce risk for heart disease, support healthy digestion, and help with weight management. Popcorn is also a good source of fiber. However, popcorn should be eaten in minimum quantities (1/3 cup) to be considered “healthy”.

Popcorn should not be eaten with any other ingredients or toppings like salt, caramel, cheese, or butter or oil to “pop” the popcorn. Instead, you are encouraged to eat popcorn with healthier alternatives like herb blends for seasoning. Popcorn can make a great whole grain desert if these “guidelines” are followed by not adding any other toppings/oils.

We can make fun healthy recipes with popcorn that make a great snack! First lots of trail mix you can buy in the store contain a healthy amount of popcorn. Just be sure to check nutrition labels.

Here is a great popcorn treat to make that both adults and kids can enjoy:

Makes: 2 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons margarine (melted or butter)
• 5 cups popcorn (popped)
• ¾ cup raisins
• 1 cup shredded wheat (bite-size)
• 1 tablespoon sugar (brown or white)
• 1 ¼ teaspoons cinnamon

Directions

1. Pop popcorn.
2. Mix popcorn, raisins, and cereal in a large bowl.
3. Drizzle melted margarine or butter over mixture.
4. Add sugar and cinnamon mixture.
5. Shake or stir until all ingredients are evenly distributed.

Fruits: ¾ cups

Grains: 2 ounces

 

Written by: Kendall Henry

Sources:

https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/grains

https://www.myplate.gov/recipes/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap/popcorn-treats

https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/crediting-popcorn-child-nutrition-programs

We’ve been talking a lot about the importance of the five food groups and switching out some foods for healthier options, but why is that? Have you heard about sugar, fat, and sodium? These three things are found in so many foods, but they don’t do much to help our bodies function, especially when we consume them in large quantities. Let’s take a look at each of these and see why we should limit our consumption of them and how we can do just that!

Sugar

Sugar is delicious! Who doesn’t love candy, desserts, or ice cream? But sugar is tricky because it’s hidden in so many things. When we talk about limiting sugar consumption, we mean looking out for added sugars that aren’t naturally found in foods like fruits or milk. Beverages are a popular place to find added sugars, but so are breakfast cereals, bars, and jams. Limiting added sugars is important because those extra calories that our bodies don’t need get stored as fat, which negatively impacts heart health.

To limit your consumption of added sugars, think about what your major sources of added sugar are. Substitute out a sugary soda for unsweetened tea or water, or use naturally sweet dates and peanut butter as your new after dinner snack!

Fats

You can find fats in just about any kind of food. There are good fats and bad fats. Good fats include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Bad fats are mainly trans fats. Saturated fats fall somewhere in the middle, but more closely to the bad fats category. We need some fats in our diet, but too much (mainly of the bad fats) can cause a lot of health issues. Too much of the bad fats can raise your cholesterol levels, clog your arteries, and later on, lead to heart disease.

It’s important that we limit our intake of bad fats. Ideally, you should get no more than 25-30% of your daily calories from fat, and you should limit your saturated fats to less than 10% of your daily calories. Foods that are high in saturated fats include baked goods, fried foods, and fatty/processed meats. To help limit your intake of fat, try replacing red meat with skinless chicken or fish a few times a week! Instead of using solid butter, try using canola or olive oil. Replace the whole fat dairy items in your diet with low or non fat dairy items. These small changes will help you a big deal later on in your life!

Sodium

Have you heard of sodium? I bet you have! Sodium, most commonly known as salt, is that white stuff added as seasoning to dishes. We still need sodium for our bodies to function properly, but just like sugars and fats, we run into trouble when we consume too much of it. The main culprit of high sodium intake isn’t from a heavy dash of salt when we cook, but actually from the pre-packaged and prepared foods that we buy or order. Processed meats (deli meats, sausage, pepperoni), sauces, dressings, and spice packets are just some of the things full of sodium. High sodium intakes are closely linked to increased cardiovascular (heart) diseases and risk of  hypertension (otherwise known as high blood pressure). So what should you do to help protect your body? Look at the Nutrition Fact Labels on what you’re picking up in the grocery store. Look for items saying “low-sodium” or “no salt added” to make an easy change. Avoid cured and ready to eat meats. One of the best ways to avoid high amounts of sodium is to cook your own meals, because you can control how much sodium you put into it!

Sources: MyPlate.gov, USDA Food and Nutrition Service

Written By: Morgan Felix and Gretchen Blume

Eat smart and play hard! That’s what we have been learning in our YMCA summer lessons. Part of eating smart is including balanced snacks in our diet. But what does a balanced snack look like? Like our other meals, our snacks should be full of nutrients to keep us healthy and strong. There are truly endless options of healthy, balanced snacks that we can enjoy in between our meals. Snacking is great for when we are on the go and need something quick! Try prepping snacks ahead of time; wash and cut your fruits and veggies so that they are more convenient and accessible when you are in a pinch!

Homemade trail mix is a great way to fit all five food groups into a snack. Just look at this popcorn trail mix, what foods do you see? What food groups does each food belong in? The popcorn is a whole grain, the blueberries fit into the fruit food group, and the walnuts and pumpkin seeds give us protein. How can you personalize your own trail mix? You could add things like dried banana chips, peanuts, granola, sunflower seeds, or whatever else you’d like! Try prepping a big batch of trail mix at the beginning of the week for you to add to your lunches or snack on after school!

Have you ever tried hummus before? This is a chickpea-based spread commonly eaten with pita bread or vegetables. Making hummus yourself is also a fun way to create your own flavors and combinations that you like best! Try making this roasted red pepper & walnut hummus with an adult for an easy snack during the week. The chickpeas are full of protein, and the whole grain pita or tortilla chips used to dip are the grains. The red peppers added in and the carrots or cucumbers used to dip count as the vegetables. Get creative! What’s your favorite vegetable? Try dipping it into your own homemade hummus and see how the flavors transform!

We can even make our desserts healthier! Instead of eating cookies, turn to these no-bake peanut butter & banana cereal bites to ease your chocolate cravings. Even with something as sweet and delicious as these bites, we’re still fulfilling our nutrition needs by getting our grains, protein and fruits in. There are so many ways that you can make this recipe your own. Try using oatmeal or puffed brown rice for a whole grain version, or use your favorite dried fruits to add even more flavor and sweetness!

Try out this activity to practice putting together healthy snacks. Pretend like you are in charge of creating snacks for your favorite sports team. They need your help to stay strong and healthy so they can play their best! Get creative and maybe even try making your creation for yourself to see how it is.  

Sources: Fruit & Veggies for Better Health & MyPlate.gov

Written by Healthy Bodies Summer 2022 Interns

We’re winding down our eating through the alphabet, and the last letter is Z for zucchini. Perfect – just in time for summer! Zucchini is also known as the summer squash, and it is full of vitamins A and C.

When picking the perfect zucchini at the grocery store, check for shiny skin that is slightly prickly and free of any cuts or bruises.

Zucchini is a great veggie to add to your meals as a refreshing and nutritious side dish. There are so many different ways to prepare and cook with zucchini, but did you know you can even use it in baking? Try out this Zucchini Bread recipe the next time you want to experiment in the kitchen.

Looking for a new recipe to try this summer at your next barbeque? Try these Lime-Cilantro Marinated Grilled Veggie Kabobs. They make an easy and delicious lunch or dinner, and you can customize them by adding your favorite veggies and anything you have on hand. With summer just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to add more fresh fruits and vegetables to your meals. It is also the perfect time to try all these new recipes! Thank you for following us on our eating through the alphabet journey! Enjoy!

Written by: Allison Salkin

Sources: fruitsandveggies.org and USDA MyPlate

Around for more than 12,000 years, yogurt is a great source of calcium, vitamin B12, riboflavin B2, and zinc. That is, if you want a food that is good for your bones, teeth, heart, eyes, and cells, yogurt is for you! More than just fermented cow’s milk, yogurt is oftentimes mixed with fruits for a sweet or tangy, amazing flavor!

Ever thought to make your own fruit yogurt? It’s so easy! Mix low fat plain or vanilla yogurt with your favorite fruit, and there you go! Take this treat to the next level by adding granola and more fresh fruit and now you have a delicious yogurt parfait for dessert. What could be better than a healthy, refreshing dessert during the summer?

Speaking of summer, there are so many more recipes you can try to make these hot months ever better! Visit the website at the link below to find your new favorite summer snacks or meals. Check out the California Avocado Super Summer Wrap (page 3) for the perfect lunch or dinner. I bet you never thought that yogurt could be used in a wrap like this!

https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/SummerRecipes508c.pdf

Written by: Rachel Bliss

Source: USDA MyPlate